


The father I couldn't be

by RainbowLSparrow



Series: Iruka Week 2021 [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort, Edo Tensei, Edo Tensei!Minato, Emotional Healing, Gen, Iruka Appreciation Week, Iruka Week 2021, Iruka's Parents mentioned, Mentioned Uzumaki Kushina, Mentioned Uzumaki Naruto, Parent Umino Iruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29988807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowLSparrow/pseuds/RainbowLSparrow
Summary: Story written for the third day of Iruka Week 2021.Day 3. Edo Tensei"Thank you for being to Naruto the father I couldn't be!"
Relationships: Namikaze Minato & Umino Iruka, Umino Iruka & Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Iruka Week 2021 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193942
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Iruka Week 2021





	The father I couldn't be

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Il padre che non sono potuto essere](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29988627) by [RainbowLSparrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowLSparrow/pseuds/RainbowLSparrow). 



"Thank you for being to Naruto the father I couldn't be!" Minato had said these words to him, in a light tone, which however did not diminish the intensity of their meaning. He always seemed to speak like that, the Fourth Hokage, so sincere. Iruka had had few chances to see him when he was still alive, but those few he remembered him just like that.   
It was so strange to see him now, at the time of his death Iruka was just a little boy, while now he was a few years older than Minato when he died.

Seeing him now after spending all these years with Naruto, he could see what the boy got from his father. Strength of spirit and ambition, love and devotion for loved ones and for the whole village. Now it was so evident, but before this truth had been obscured.

"I always thought of Naruto as the little brother, who I never had the chance to have. Sure at first it was tough, but I hope I gave him the affection that I missed when my parents died."  
Konoha had never been able to take care of their orphans. This only caused more problems, which led to other orphans, thus starting a vicious circle that was very dangerous for the equilibrium of the village itself and beyond. This Iruka knew very well and for this reason, he had chosen the job that he carried out with so much passion.

"From what I see you did a great job! Considering how many things he got from me and Kushina, it must not have been easy at all." he could hear in his voice the sadness of a father who had been forced to abandon his son too soon, who had had to sacrifice his good for a greater goal, a father who had loved his son intensely, but who had not had the chance to prove it.

Seeing him like this, he wondered if his parents, wherever they were now, felt the same way. He wondered if he will feel the same thing once he died thinking of all the loved ones left behind. In his heart he hoped he would never have to experience what they had had the misfortune to experience, he hoped he could leave his loved ones after having lived and loved as much as possible. But you know, in that world their desires didn't matter much.

"I'm sure your parents would be proud of how you grew up!" sincere words and a kind smile. He couldn't know if it was true or not, the fact is that he needed to hear that. He had always needed it, even if he had never noticed. Those words gave him a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time, it was a very special sensation, which he had associated with only one thing in his life. The embrace of his parents. He missed them, he missed them terribly. But now at 27, he had finally understood them. Before he was too young to do it, but now he understood.

He needed to hear it, now he could move on in his life. A page of his existence that had long remained open could now finally close. He would always carry his parents within him, but now they weren't a ghost shadow darkening his life, but two guardian spirits lighting his way.

"Thank you for everything you do for Naruto! To me and Kushina it means a lot ... Please continue to take care of him." Minato knew very well that it wouldn't even need to ask, but he felt that somehow it was right.  
Iruka would never abandon Naruto. Because even if he initially thought of Naruto as a little brother, over the years, as he matured, he began to feel the role that Naruto had entrusted to him more and more. Iruka was somehow Naruto's father and talking to Minato made it all clear to him.

"Thank you for being to Naruto the father I couldn't be!"


End file.
